This invention relates to apparatus for towing a tractor equipped with a front end loader and particularly to a device which can allow the tractor to be towed at high speed for highway travel.
The conventional technique for towing tractors of this type which are generally equipped with a front end loader and in many cases also with a backhoe is to load them onto a flat bed truck which is then towed using a highway tractor.
However, the loading and unloading can be a time consuming and difficult process and can severely eat into the working day thus substantially increasing the costs of using equipment of this type.
This is a particular problem in relation to construction work where the equipment is required to be operated in a number of different locations which may be widely spaced and hence not suitable for driving the tractor between the places of operation.
Arrangements have previously been proposed for transporting heavy machinery such as bulldozers or the like in Canadian patents 896421 (Nordstrom) and 898750 (Graetz). Devices of this type have however been designed specifically for bulldozers and also require specialized equipment on the towing tractor for receiving the cooperating coupling mechanism between the bulldozer and the towing tractor. These devices therefore have not achieved significant success and have not provided a device which is suitable for the conventional front end loader/backhoe.